Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Disptaches from Microbiota 2011

IPA co-founder: EU probiotic approach is “dirty pool”

Jarrow Rogovin, never a man to mince his words, says it is high time the IPA and other trade groups stepped up to the plate to defend a sector that has been under regulatory siege on both sides of the Atlantic for several years.

Our 2011 dairy digest: relive the stories that made a milk splash this year...

From killer ice cream to Nestlé and Danone cancelling or suspending local operations in China, 2011 was a roller-coaster ride for the world dairy industry. So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy our whirlwind tour of the year's top news tattle...

News in brief

DairyReporter.com wishes readers a happy holiday!

DairyReporter.com will take its annual Christmas and New Year holiday from December 24 to January 1.

'We're the first to hit UK zero waste to landfill target', Arla

Arla Foods claims that it is the first major dairy company in the UK to achieve zero waste to landfill throughout its entire UK business, including all its processing sites.

In Pictures: A Year in the Food Industry

FoodNavigator.com presents a photo gallery round-up of some of the biggest news stories of the year.

Baby death sees Mead Johnson infant formula stripped off shelves

Wal-Mart says it had withdrawn a batch of powdered infant formula produced by Mead Johnson Nutrition after a Missouri baby fed the formula died of a suspected bacterial infection, according to the Associated Press.

Pile on those truckin' pounds, say Kraft and peers, as opponents cite safety fears

US food giant Kraft says it hopes that more states are allowed to follow the lead of Maine and Vermont and allow heavier 97,000-pound trucks on interstate roads, although opponents fear safety issues.

Grease is the word for Swedish butter smugglers…

But it didn’t have groove and meaning for the two men when they were stopped by Norwegian police for trying to smuggle butter into the country.

News in brief

Bulgaria poised for dairy promotion blitz

The president of Bulgaria's Association of Dairy Processors says her body has secured EU funding to promote dairy products in Spain, Russia and Brazil.

Yakult never presented the basic evidence for probiotic health claim, says consultant

Yakult failed to present the most basic evidence and sought a too-complicated immunity claim in the controversially rejected immunity health claim for its probiotic drinks, a UK consultant has said.

News in brief

Listeria-linked dairy recall extended again - CFIA

A voluntary recall of dairy products has been extended for the fifth time since the original recall of products potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, Canadian food safety authorities have said.

Yakult: Health claim rejection doesn’t affect our claims

Japanese probiotics giant Yakult says the writing into law of its rejected EU health claim for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) benefits won’t alter its core sell in European markets that remained, “stable”.

Exclusive interview

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.

State-of-the-art serrated plastic pipe cleaning tech unveiled by Arla

The UK arm of Scandinavian based dairy giant Arla has installed a new ‘state of the art’ pipe cleaning technology at its creamery in Stourton that it says will help it reduce product waste and save water.

Shelf-life, sustainability and substitution to drive aseptic packaging growth – report

Extended shelf-life and sustainability properties of aseptic packaging will drive demand for food and beverage applications to nearly $2.5bn by 2020, an industry report has predicted.

Chr. Hansen targets Eastern cottage cheese chic

Chr. Hansen claims its new Fresco 3000 culture series will increase customer’s cheese yield, reduce production costs and provide greater protection against bacteriophage attacks during fermentation, as the company targets growing consumption in Eastern Europe and Russia.

Study shows cheese cuts cholesterol compared with butter equivalent

Cheese intake lowers LDL cholesterol when compared with butter intake of equal fat content, and does not increase said cholesterol levels compared with a normal diet.

News in brief

O-I announces senior vice president appointment

US glass packaging manufacturer O-I has named Tony Gardner its new senior vice president and chief commercial officer.

Admin error led to Canadian listeria recall delay - CFIA

Several dairy products, potentially contaminated with listeria, remained on the market over a month after an initial manufacturer recall because of an administration blunder, Canadian food safety authorities have revealed.

Shanghai fallout sees Danone suspend ops as Nestlé shuts Chinese site

French dairy giant Danone says it is refocusing its Chinese dairy operations after suspending operations at a yogurt facility in Shanghai, while Nestlé has closed an ice cream facility in the country.

News in brief

Fonterra admits 'mixed' results on sustainability

The world's largest dairy processor Fonterra claims its 10,500 dairy farmers are delivering results from a sustainability standpoint, but admits that more work needs to be done.

Exclusive

Japan baby formula radiation fears raised as early as mid-November

Following the discovery of radioactive substances in its baby milk formula, it has now emerged that Meiji Holdings Co. was contacted about possible contamination three weeks before it decided to recall the products.

‘Curbside exclusion’ is major challenge facing US carton recycling: Carton Council

Despite improvements to curbside carton recycling, lack of access for consumers is the major problem that the industry faces in upping recycling rates, according to the US Carton Council.

Australian study promises sustainable ‘heart-friendly’ milk

Scientists in Australia say they have conducted new research showing that feeding cows winemaking byproducts drastically cuts their methane emissions and leads to healthier milk.

Comment

Lobbyists, start your engines: Can a new health claims formula be won in the European Parliament?

Five years ago the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) became law. Around the bloc, hopeful EU healthy foods and supplements stakeholders submitted more than 44,000 health claim applications.

Deadly revenge for Chinese nitrite poisoning pair

A Chinese dairy farmer has been sentenced to death after a court in the country convicted her for intentionally poisoning milk that killed three infants and sickened 36 people.

DMK suggests ice-cream spin-off but misses German target

Germany’s largest dairy processor DMK has said that it plans to spin-off its ice cream business during 2012, but has missed out on acquisition target Durigon Gelato to R&R Ice Cream.

Eating dairy could slash Australian healthcare budget by billions, study

If Australian consumers consumed recommended levels of dairy foods, then the nation could trim its healthcare budget by at least AUS $2bn (€1.5bn), according to a new industry-backed study.

FHI "getting its act together" for positive EFSA opinions

A trial underway will provide the substantiation that EFSA needs in order to get a health claim for a protein mix used in combination with an exercise programme for improving muscle mass in the elderly, claims value-added dairy project Food for Health Ireland (FHI).

'Ground-breaking' designer dairy poised for lift-off with plant isolates, NIZO

Dutch-based food research firm NIZO has evolved a wild plant isolate of Lactococcus lactis (L.Lactis) that it says could open the floodgates to fermented dairy products with new functionalities.

Fermented dairy sales boom sees Danisco invest in China

As part of a ‘major step’ for the business, Danisco has announced plans to invest in its production of Live Culture Inoculant cultures (LCI) in China to meet booming demand from the fresh dairy and dietary supplement markets.

Nestlé partnership aims to raise Brazilian dairy standards

Nestlé says it is partnering other dairy companies in Brazil to help more than 2,200 farms improve milk quality, safety and sustainability.

EU milk package threatens ‘fairer deal' for farmers, cries NFU

Opinion is split on the final text of the so-called EU Dairy Package, with the UK National Farmers’ Union (NFU) citing missed opportunities within the European Commission’s (EC’s) text, and Dairy UK stating its continued opposition to minimum contract terms.

Greenpeace slams Fonterra over alleged ‘climate crime’

NGO Greenpeace New Zealand (GPNZ) has attacked Fonterra’s continued use of controversial palm oil co-product, palm kernel expeller (PKE), as a supplementary dairy farm feed.

Malaysia facility will bring Palsgaard closer to palm oil source, says CEO

Danish company Palsgaard said a US $30m emulsifier factory located in Malaysia will be operational in just over 12 months and will bring the company closer to the supply of its key raw material - palm oil.

European glass sector toasts rising packaging demand

An upswing in glass packaging production announced today has been fuelled by growing demand from consumers and brand owners as sustainability and quality benefits of the material continue to gain traction, said leading industry figure Niall Wall.

News in brief

Kraft inks ‘transformational’ JV with R&R Ice Cream

R&R Ice Cream CEO and executive chairman James Lambert says his firm has signed a deal with Kraft to develop, produce and distribute an “indulgent” ice cream range using the US food giant's brand portfolio.

R&R Ice Cream pursues German private label mission

R&R Ice Cream (R&R) has expanded its European manufacturing base with the acquisition of German firm Durigon Gelato, as the company seeks to develop its private label business in the country.

Chavez ramps-up rhetoric as Parmalat apologises for 'milk hoarding' response

Parmalat has issued a public apology to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in the wake of a row over the company’s initial response to accusations of dairy product hoarding in the country.

News in brief

Müller Dairy UK jobs threat

Up to 55 jobs could be lost at Müller Dairy UK, which produces yogurts in the country at its dairy in Market Drayton, North Shropshire.

Is dairy ready to steal some of the stevia limelight from beverage?

Cargill is looking beyond beverage to dairy as it flags up pending product launches for Truvia in both table-top and as an ingredient on the EU market next year.

Safety and operational efficiency mega-trends spur Nalco takeover, says Ecolab

Ecolab said it has completed the US$8.3bn (€6.4bn) takeover of Nalco as part of a strategy to tap into global mega-trends such as food safety and the need for industry players to maximize operational efficiencies such as energy and water reductions.

Consuming non-dairy calcium alone does not fill nutrient gaps, US study

Consumers can meet intake requirements for nutrients such as calcium via non-dairy sources, but these are not a ‘nutritionally significant equivalent’ for dairy foods, according to a new US study.

‘Paradigm shift’ in mixing industry sees SPX commercialise cavitation technology

US machinery firm SPX Corp is commercialising patented cavitation mixing and dispersing technology for beverage and food sector use, and says it believes the equipment is unique within the marketplace.